Part 13 (1/2)

Thorsuun stopped. 'Oh, Doctor, I felt that.'

'What?'

'Fear. The fear that ran through you then. Yes, you're right - with my knowledge of the multiverse, I can lead the Cat-People anywhere in time and s.p.a.ce.'

'Once you rea.s.sert your equality, of course.'

'Of course. I shall put this putrid little world and its ills behind me.'

'How come you're being so accommodating to them?

With your powers, I would have thought you could easily . .

. omit them from your plans?' The Doctor twiddled his bow-tie again.

Thorsuun coughed slightly. 'Yes, well, I needed a bargaining chip. They procured my RTC unit. We all have one - it stops us ageing. Without it, I'm beginning to grow older - at about the same rate as a human, so it doesn't matter too much. I'll get it back before long.' Thorsuun pursed her lips. 'a.s.suming that Chosan hasn't remodulated it too much. She's a great tinkerer, I've realized, but hopelessly flawed.'

'How do they work?'

'Very well, thank you. Especially when one or more are brought together.'

'I thought so. I used the two in the house to escape Atimkos's time-stop.'

Thorsuun stopped. 'Oh, and you didn't see fit to tell me.

Thank you so much. If I could get my hands on just one of those, I could get rid of Aysha and her moggies when they least expect it.'

'Well, forget it - I left them both there.' Patting his pocket, and feeling the shape of the little red book safely hidden, the Doctor smiled knowingly. 'Now, tell me about the others in your party.'

Thorsuun shrugged. 'Frankly, my dear Doctor, I don't give a d.a.m.n about them. Atimkos is a fool, dabbling in so-called arcanity trying to find the paths. He's disguised his 105 RTC unit as a pack of cards or something. How parochial.'

She ran a hand through her blonde hair and tried to look coy. The Doctor stared impa.s.sively back, so she gave up.

'With regard to the beacons, I think I've already found them.

The Cat-People can use them, I don't need to.'

'So, if you shut your eyes, it'll all go away. You can just forget Atimkos and the others. As if they don't exist.'

'That's basically it, yes.'

The Doctor spun Coates' cap around on his index finger, ignoring the man's attempts to s.n.a.t.c.h it back. 'There's a theory - rather appropriately called Schroedinger's Cat - that says something about probability waves and that if you shut something away out of sight long enough it ceases to change - it is everything at once, alive, dead, changing, not changing. You get the idea?'

'I am familiar with the concept.' She smiled.

'Well, old Schroedinger was theorizing that out of sight isn't just out of mind but out of the way of probable change.

We perceive what we see and when we don't see it, it ceases to alter until we next need it to. Is that how you see your people? Unchanging. Incapable of acting or doing their own thing unless you're there to actually see it? Isn't that dangerous?'

Thorsuun also made a grab for the hat but missed. 'This is irrelevant. All I need is my freedom.'

The Doctor spun the cap up and Coates caught it, shoving it into his coat pocket. 'Like his cap, Thorsuun. You can't see it, but it's still there no matter how much you pretend it isn't. You owe it to the others to help them off Earth as well.' He pointed at Coates's now bulging pocket.

'Schroedinger's Hat perhaps?'

Thorsuun sighed. 'Don't be such a smart alec. Charles!'

Coates looked up expectantly. 'Yes, Fraulein Thorsuun?'

'What has happened to George?'

Lotuss suddenly pushed herself forward. 'I dealt with him.'

Thorsuun lost her patience. 'd.a.m.n you, litter-runt, do you know how difficult it has been finding people who not only 106 accept working for me but aren't afraid to get their hands dirty?'

'George was,' muttered Coates.

'Quiet, Charles. Well?'

Lotuss puffed out her chest and her fur raised. 'One more word from you, and I blast you here and now.'

'Not only do you shoot Kerbe instead of him,' she pointed at the Doctor, who spread his hands apologetically, 'but now I learn you've killed George Smithers. Well, thank you for nothing.' Thorsuun pushed past Lotuss. 'Charles, where's the body?'

Coates pointed at the bag he was hefting. Thorsuun raised her eyes to heaven. 'Where are you burying it?'

'On the clifftop. No one goes up there. Well, except two youngsters I saw earlier but I think they went the other way.'

'Two young -' Thorsuun looked at the Doctor. 'And just where are our delightful Sixties debutantes, eh?'

The Doctor shrugged and shook his head. 'Young people.

They will go off on their own.'

'Hi. My name's Tim. Are you two all right?'

Ben was gasping for breath. 'Yeah, thanks, mate. I think you saved my life. Where'd you come from anyway?'

Polly was staring at the man called Tim. 'I . . . I know you?'

'Pol?' Ben got up, putting his weight on Tim's shoulder.

'Where from?'

'I don't know. Have we met?'

Tim smiled. 'I don't believe so. Not in this life, anyway.'

Polly was s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g her face up. 'There's something . . .

It's just out of reach.'